Antibiotic use in cattle farming is both a welfare necessity for treating sick animals and a contributor to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — a global health crisis requiring careful stewardship that protects animal welfare while reducing the development and spread of resistant bacteria.
Antibiotic stewardship in cattle farming requires balancing two genuine welfare concerns. Animals that are sick and need antibiotics must receive them promptly — withholding effective treatment causes unnecessary suffering. But unnecessary antibiotic use — prophylactic treatment of healthy animals, use of critically important antibiotics for minor conditions — contributes to resistance that will ultimately undermine our ability to treat both animal and human disease. The resolution is not to restrict antibiotic access when animals genuinely need treatment, but to reduce the conditions that necessitate treatment — through better biosecurity, improved housing, targeted vaccination, and early disease detection. Stewardship that protects animal welfare and human health is not a contradiction; it requires investing in prevention rather than defaulting to treatment.